


A Christmas Rose

by RedRaidingHood



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: M/M, PJO Secret Santa '15
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-24
Updated: 2015-12-24
Packaged: 2018-05-08 23:13:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5516774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedRaidingHood/pseuds/RedRaidingHood
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nico had first told him about the flower blooming in the deepest snow, in the coldest night, on the highest mountain. A symbol of the affection Hades felt for Persephone. It was cheesy and corny and more legend than actual fact, but to the two of them, it meant something.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Christmas Rose

**Author's Note:**

> So, thanks to [Percyssantahat](http://percyssantahat.tumblr.com) I had the pleasure of being [Spyair's](http://spyair.tumblr.com) Secret Santa and this is what I wrote.  
> I hope you're all having great holidays with lots of fun and good food! Happy Holidays <3

For two days now, Jason’s world consisted mostly of grey and white. When he had set off, he had thought of it as a short trip to the mountains that could easily be done by one demigod. Now, he earnestly feared going snowblind. Which would be pretty inconvenient considering he still had to find a Christmas rose.

He had discarded his glasses some time ago, the heavy snowfall not allowing him to see far anyway and the lenses had fogged over one time too much under his goggles. Tightening the scarf around his neck, Jason steeled his resolve; he would be home in two more days at most. Just in time for the Christmas celebrations. Just in time for both Camps to join in the festivities, and Nico had promised to come. 

Taking another step, Jason bit his lip, concentrating on the way the deep snow felt around his ankles, imagined how it felt around his toes. It had been some time since he felt them. He would be pissed if he actually lost them over a flower. It was worth the risk though. 

Nico had first told him about it in one of his letters; a flower blooming in the deepest snow, in the coldest night, on the highest mountain. A sign of beauty in the dark, a symbol of the affection Hades felt for Persephone. It was cheesy and corny and more legend than actual fact, but there still were flowers blooming on mountains, and to the two of them, those flowers meant something.

Realizing he’d let his mind wander, Jason stopped. He needed a break at least, make camp and get the feeling in his fingers and nose back. A little Ambrosia might help, he decided, carelessly throwing his backpack down right then and there. It didn’t matter anyway, there was no overhang or snowdrift or any other good place to wait out this never-ending snowfall. With the last of his strength, he pushed the snow aside, stumbling forward and shoving it together and in front of him to built as good a shelter as his tired limbs allowed. 

The gloves he was wearing had been soaked for hours now, the wet cold numbing his hands and making his movements all the more clumsy. Jason tore them off and started to shovel snow with his bare hands, ignoring the wind that kept tearing at his clothes and blow some of it right back into the hole he was digging. He felt like just collapsing then and there and his knees finally gave up under him. Resigning to lean against his shelter, he pulled both, his knees and his backpack towards him and settled for another few hours in the cold. His strength had finally left him, his head lolling against the snow behind him. He didn’t feel cold any more.

Taking a slow, shallow breath, Jason felt it, his numb, blue fingers brushing against something that moved with them. Something other than snow. 

His eyelids were heavy, almost not listening to him, feeling like they were already frozen together. Then, he opened them, seeing the delicate, white petal of a Christmas rose. He’d found it. He’d done it. Now he could rest. Rest and return home later. Later.

 

There was a beeping sound. A sound so irritating like the alarm when you’ve just fallen asleep. A sound that was underlined by another, fainter noise that had Jason remember the sudden warmth he’d felt on his skin just when he thought he would never feel anything at all. Warmth and then another kind of cold. He’d felt that. He had felt that after feeling nothing for such a long time.

Coming close to waking a second time, Jason didn’t remember what had happened, but the warmth and cold just after an all-encompassing numbness stayed with him. It had felt familiar, even though he couldn’t place it.

He worked his eyelids open. They felt like frozen shut again, only much, much warmer. There was no snow, only the blurry image ow a room, darker than anything he had seen in the last two days. Dark, but not cold. Jason fell unconscious again before he could place it. Before he could identify the sounds and smells and the heavy warmth covering him.

Beeping was all he could hear for a while, but time was doing strange things and his brain hurt and Jason felt like waking up not only on the wrong side of the bed, but in a different bed all together. Literally. 

Groaning, he didn’t even try to open his eyes this time. His throat felt parched and his voice came out almost unintelligible. “I want to die.” 

He was trying to get his bearings, the beeping sound hammering away at his brain, making thoughts harder than normal. The beeping, the heavy blanket on his chest. The humming sound that had stopped the moment he opened his mouth.

“Not what the doctor ordered, though.”

And that. That was Nico. Blood was rushing through his ears, loudly pumping through his heart. Nico.

Jason opened his eyes slowly, turning his head to the sound of his friends’ voice. 

Nico. The reason why he had gone on that trip, the reason why he had stumbled through the cold and snow for days. What was he doing here? What had happened and how was Jason even still alive?

Nico smiled. “Yeah, don’t say anything, they’ve told me not to expect to much from you anyway.”

Jason tried to move his hand. His fingers were no longer numb but wrapped in bandages. And all he wanted to do was to touch that smile.

Leaning back in his chair beside Jason’s bed, Nico shook his head, staring outside the window almost wistfully. He was wearing a t-shirt, his jacket slung over the back of his chair and his hair a mess. He was gorgeous. “The others are celebrating, by the way. I told them I was enough to watch your careless ass after almost getting yourself killed.” Nico laughed. “And don’t look at me like that. As if I wouldn’t know exactly what you were up to on that mountain.”

Jason’s heart pumped loud in his ears, drowning out the beeping sound, but not Nico’s voice. Never Nico’s voice. The Christmas rose. Jason had wanted to get the Christmas rose for Nico, had wanted to finally confess his feelings even though after all those years of pining and working together so closely, so seamlessly, a confession felt almost redundant. 

Standing from his chair, Nico went to the window where a small, white flower was standing in a small, white vase and Jason had only felt its petals. Had never picked it up. 

Nico had.

Jason gulped, collecting his breath for what he needed to do. Needed to say, even if Nico’s back was turned to him. It felt like the one truth that would never be anything else, no matter what changed in the world or between them, Nico would come for him. Nico would safe his dumb ass and would keep sitting at his bedside until he woke up. He didn’t deserve Nico, but somehow, he was just this lucky, just this blessed.

“I love you.”

“I know.” He turned, leaning back against the window sill to watch Jason. “You’re still an irresponsible ass to go out there alone.” 

Jason’s face heated up. Rubbing his neck a little, he kept looking at Nico. What could he really say to that? ‘It was meant to be a surprise’? ‘I thought I could do it’? 

Nico crossed his arms in front of his chest and closed his eyes. “I don’t like it. I would’ve had your back, you know? At least tell me where you’re going.” And with that, he pushed himself off, walking over to the bed again.

“So you’re not mad at me?”

“Oh, I’m plenty mad,” Nico smiled. “But it’s also Christmas and you got me a present, so.”

“So I’m forgiven?” Jason asked, his own dumb smile growing in return. His brain was still hurting and he couldn’t think clear, but he prayed to every god out there that he would remember this. Would remember Nico bending down, his eyes never leaving Jason’s and his words spoken so soft, so warm against his lips. “Merry Christmas, Jason Grace. love you too.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> Feel free to comment and/or criticize, or drop me a line on [tumblr](http://redraidinghood.tumblr.com) if you have time <3


End file.
